After 6 people died at a nursing home in Hollywood, Florida, police have opened a criminal investigation. Josh King has the story (@abridghetoland).
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Florida Gov. Rick Scott talks to the media outside the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Friday, Sept. 29, 2017, after having lunch with President Donald Trump Vice President Mike Pence.(Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday directed state health care and elder affairs leaders to begin the formal process of adopting a rule that would require nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have emergency generators on hand to protect residents in a power outage.

The move comes one month after Hurricane Irma struck Florida, causing massive statewide power outages that led to the deaths of 14 sick and elderly patients who spent three days in a smoldering hot nursing home in Hollywood.

The state suspended the license of the Rehabilitation Center of Hollywood Hills on Sept. 20, a week after the first eight deaths at the facility. The nursing home closed last week after laying off its 245 employees.

“Families rely on assisted living facilities and nursing homes to be fully prepared to care for their loved ones, and it is the responsibility of these facilities to provide a safe environment for their elderly and vulnerable residents,” Scott said in a prepared statement. “We will continue to explore every possible avenue in our fight to keep all residents safe.”

Scott had previously issued an emergency rule requiring facilities that care for the elderly to obtain generators and the fuel to run them within 60 days. He ordered the facilities to take the steps to "sustain operations and maintain comfortable temperatures for at least 96 hours following a power outage."

However, by state law emergency rules expire in 90 days, meaning Scott’s order will no longer be in effect by mid-December.

On Tuesday, Scott directed the Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Elder Affairs to begin crafting permanent rules that will remain on the books until state lawmakers can consider similar laws during next year’s legislative session.

The session begins Jan. 8, and proposed legislation has already been filed that is similar to Scott’s rules. The House has also assembled a special committee that will review policies proposed for the elder care industry.

Hollywood police and other agencies have launched a criminal investigation into the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills. The nursing home’s executives have laid blame on Scott and Florida Power & Light for delayed responses to their pleas for help after the facility lost power.